(AP) — Supporters and opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline in Nebraska are traveling to Washington to testify before a House subcommittee.

Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Dennis Houston is scheduled to appear Thursday before the House Commerce Subcommittee, as is Ron Kaminski, the business manager for the Laborers Local 1140 in Omaha.

Jane Kleeb, executive director of Bold Nebraska, which opposes the pipeline, will argue that the project poses an unnecessary risk to Nebraska landowners.

Opponents are urging President Barack Obama to deny a federal permit for the proposed Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline, saying it doesn’t serve U.S. energy interests and would contribute to global warming. Supporters say the pipeline is by far the safest way to transport the oil from Canadian tar-sands deposits.

(AP) — Flooding along the South Platte River in western Nebraska had initially caused little damage, but the river continues to rise as Colorado floodwaters arrive.

The flooding began near the Colorado-Nebraska border on Wednesday and forced the closure of the Interstate 80 exit into Big Springs and a truck stop.

A breach in the river bank also developed west of Brule. Keith County Emergency Manager Pete Peterson says the water encroached on the Farmers Cooperative Association grain elevator outside of town but didn’t threaten Brule.

Officials said the South Platte was extremely full at Ogallala Thursday morning, but hadn’t yet overflowed.

The National Weather Service predicts flooding will continue along the South Platte and later the Platte River over the next several days as the surge of water moves east.

A 68-year-old man North Platte man has been arrested on suspicion of third-degree sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.

Police arrested Doug Thompson at a home on Sunday.

Police say the girl told investigators that Thompson approached her while she was trying on a dress in her bedroom and touched her in a sexual manner.

A person who called 911 to report the assault told police Thompson was threatening to harm himself, but he was calm when police arrived and was arrested without incident.

Thompson was being held Thursday in the Lincoln County jail on $50,000 bond and could not be reached for comment.

(AP) — A Nebraska woman sentenced to up to 22 years in prison for her role in the death of her 2-year-old son has filed an appeal.

Last month, 25-year-old Laura Rinehart, was sentenced after pleading no contest to attempted child abuse in the April 2012 death of Joseph Rinehart Jr.

Authorities say she did nothing to stop the abuse of Joseph by her father, 48-year-old Peter Draper, at the home they all shared in Naponee.

Draper was found guilty of two child abuse charges and is set to be sentenced on Oct. 10.

Rinehart says in her appeal that her sentence was excessive.

(AP) — An 8-year-old Idaho boy has died in a single-vehicle crash along Interstate 80 near Kearney.

The crash happened Tuesday afternoon about a mile west of Kearney when 31-year-old driver Tabitha Tesch was briefly distracted.

The Nebraska State Patrol says her sport utility vehicle then veered to the right, and when Tesch tried to straighten out she lost control. The SUV went into the median and rolled several times.

Tesch’s son, T.J., was ejected and later died at a Kearney hospital.

Tabitha Tesch and four other children who were in the vehicle were taken to a hospital, where their conditions weren’t available.

All those in the vehicle are from Eagle, Idaho.

Information from NPPD on flood conditions along the South Platte River

• ·         NPPD has closed its Customer Service Center and operations in Ogallala. The customer service center is moving to the Ogallala city offices and will re-open at 7:30 a.m. and operate until 4:30 p.m. Monday throughFriday. An after hours payment box has also been established at the city offices. NPPD’s office and facilities are in the flood plain and are being sandbagged to prevent water from getting into the building.
• ·         Critical equipment at the facility has been moved out.
• ·         NPPD is urging safety around any downed power lines. They are considered to be live lines and are problematic in water. Seehttps://www.nppd.com/flooding/ for information on electrical safety in flooded areas.
• ·         NPPD is also requesting the public stay out of any District work and barricaded areas where work is being conducted as the heavy machinery and truck traffic creates a hazardous environment for both the public and its employees.
• ·         NPPD will be allowing some water through its canal system, utilizing the Korty Diversion Dam. NPPD will be moving less than 800 cubic feet per second of water through the canal system, down to Sutherland Reservoir and Lake Maloney and through the North Platte hydro. The canal system was originally planned to be drained to do maintenance work. Higher amounts of water could damage the walls of the canal.
• ·         NPPD is cautioning individuals who are at Sutherland Reservoir and Lake Maloney to avoid skin contact with the water over the next week. Water coming downstream may be carrying animal carcasses, raw sewage and other harmful material. Nebraska DEQ will be testing the water in both facilities.

The South Platte River looked like a trickle in Western Nebraska before the Colorado floodwaters began to arrive.

But the river surged quickly to flood levels near Big Springs, Neb., Wednesday morning.

The mostly dry river channel that runs along Interstate 76 and Interstate 80 is expected to overflow as floodwaters move east.

It’s not clear if the drought conditions surrounding the river will help absorb much of the floodwater.

The National Weather Service predicts the South Platte will rise quickly.

For instance, the river measured 1.6 feet deep near Roscoe Wednesday morning. By Thursday afternoon, it’s expected to reach 12.5 feet deep — shattering the old record of 11.3 feet.

At North Platte, the river is expected to rise from the current 5.3 feet to 13.9 feet on Saturday.

(AP) — Health care advocates are launching a campaign to help Nebraska residents get health insurance under the federal health care law.

A new group, “Enroll Nebraska,” has formed to show residents how they can enroll through the new health insurance marketplace, which opens on Oct. 1.

Community health groups throughout the state have been hiring and training insurance “navigators,” to help guide residents through the process. The marketplaces allow consumers to comparison shop for health insurance and see whether they qualify for federal subsidies.

State Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha says the marketplace will allow thousands of people to gain access to health care and get help to pay for coverage.

Health care groups plan to speak about the enrollment process this week in Scottsbluff, Grand Island and Lincoln.

Great Plains Regional Medical Center (GPRMC) will be celebrating the construction of its new patient tower at the Great Plains Sign the Steel event on September 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the hospital’s east entrance. The event is open to the public and offered free-of-charge.

“The construction of the new patient tower at Great Plains Regional Medical Center is one of the largest construction projects in the history of our community,” said Fiona Libsack, vice president of marketing and communications. “The positive impact it will have on the many patients we serve, the growth of our medical community and the local economy is staggering The Great Plains Tower Festival is just one way that we can celebrate the impact of this exciting project together with our community.”

In keeping with its name, the event will also give the community an opportunity to “sign the steel” that will be used to erect the new patient tower.

The event, which will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on the east side of the hospital’s main campus, will feature live entertainment, Fun Jumpz inflatables for kids, a Java Junction balloon artists, Snowball Express snow cones and much more. The entertainment line-up includes:

• Hospital bed races sponsored by Great Plains Health Care Foundation. From 1 to 2 p.m., attendees will be able to watch local businesses compete for the title of “bed race champion.”
• Wellness demonstrations and performances.
  • 2:00 to 2:15 p.m.               North Platte High School Cheerleaders and Pacers
  • 2:15 to 2:30 p.m.               Kettlebell demonstration
  • 2:30 to 2:45 p.m.               Bling dancers
  • 2:45 to 3:00 p.m.               Yoga demonstration
  • 3:00 to 3:15 p.m.               The Stage dancers
  • 3:15 to 3:30 p.m.               Jazzercise demonstration
  • 3:30 to 3:45 p.m.               Hershey High School Swing Choir
  • 3:45 to 4:00 p.m.               CrossFit demonstration

Health awareness and tower project information booths will feature interactive activities and wellness-related information. Featured booth sponsors include Great Plains Pediatrics, Great Plains Heart & Vascular Center, Callahan Cancer Center, Great Plains Health Care Foundation, Great Plains Sports & Therapy, Great Plains Volunteer Auxiliary and the Great Plains Get Moving Club. The booths will be open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m.

“The Great Plains Tower Festival will offer our community, no matter what age,  a fun afternoon filled with local entertainment, wellness demonstrations, tower project information and health education,” said Libsack. “Our hope is that our community comes out in large numbers to celebrate the construction of the new patient tower and the part it plays in the transformation of local health care.”